Low-cost and bendable patient-specific three-dimensional pulmonary vessel models for lung segmentectomy

Area of Science:

• Thoracic Surgery
• Medical Device Development
• 3D Printing in Medicine

Background:

• Lung segmentectomy is increasingly adopted for its benefits in preserving pulmonary function and improving survival.
• The procedure is technically challenging due to intraoperative anatomical shifts.
• A need exists for improved surgical training tools for thoracic surgeons.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a low-cost, patient-specific, and bendable 3D pulmonary vessel model.
• To evaluate the clinical application and effectiveness of this model in lung segmentectomy.

Main Methods:

• Flexible 3D pulmonary vessel models were fabricated using thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) filaments.
• Preoperative CT images were processed for annotation of pulmonary structures and tumors.
• Models were utilized for surgical planning, intraoperative navigation, and resident education.

Main Results:

• 31 lung segmentectomies were performed using TPU-based models between September 2024 and January 2025.
• TPU models demonstrated superior flexibility compared to polylactic acid models in simulating vascular deformation.
• Model usage improved anatomical understanding, intraoperative vessel recognition, and surgical training.

Conclusions:

• Bendable TPU-based 3D pulmonary vessel models are cost-effective and anatomically accurate.
• These models have significant potential for application in thoracic surgery planning, navigation, and education.